Hebrews 12:2 “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the
champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him,
he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of
honor beside God’s throne.”
Our studies for the next five days will dig into Holy
Week. I want us to take a deeper look
into the events leading up to the crucifixion, as well as the crucifixion
itself. We will begin today by covering
Jesus arrival at Bethany through Palm Sunday (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).
Friday (before
Palm Sunday) – Arrival in Bethany
John 12:1 “Six days before the Passover celebration began,
Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the
dead.”
Jesus arrived in Bethany the home of Mary, Martha, and
Lazarus to spend some time with his friends.
It was during this visit that Mary anointed Jesus’ feet.
John 12:2-3 After dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor.
Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a
twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she
anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was
filled with the fragrance.
Judas Iscariot complained about the cost of the perfume and
the wastefulness of pouring it on Jesus’ feet.
The pound of ointment would have cost about 300 denarii, the
equivalent of nearly six months’ pay. Its high cost means it had likely been in
Mary’s family for quite some time and was used only in small portions as a perfume
on special occasions (perhaps even at burials). Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S.,
Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible
(Jn 12:3). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
Jesus reprimands Judas and then alludes to his upcoming
death. Jesus had talked about his death
on many occasions but because of their preconceived ideas about the Messiah the
disciples did not understand or grasp his meaning.
John 12:7-8 “Jesus replied, ‘Leave her alone. She did this
in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you
will not always have me.’”
It is important to note here that John 12:9-11 tells us that
it was also on Friday that the Jewish religious leaders decided to kill
Jesus. At that time they had decided to
kill Lazarus also since because of him many had begun to follow Jesus.
Saturday – Sabbath Day of Rest (No mention is made
of the Sabbath in the Gospel accounts, probably because it was a given that
Jesus and the disciples spent the day in traditional fashion with Mary, Martha,
and Lazarus.)
Sunday – The Triumphal Entry
John 12:12-15 “The next day, the news that Jesus was on the
way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took
palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, ‘Praise God! Blessings
on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!’ Jesus
found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: ‘Don’t
be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s
colt.’”
The fact that Jesus rode in on a donkey fulfilled an ancient
prophecy (Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people
of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.”)
In Bible days, donkeys were used by royal princes. David’s donkey was used for Solomon’s coronation. 1 Kings 1:33 “the king said to them, ‘Take
Solomon and my officials down to Gihon Spring. Solomon is to ride on my own
mule. ‘”
The crowd shouted “Hosanna” and the words of Psalm 118:25-26
“Please, Lord, please save us. Please, Lord, please give us success. Bless the
one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.”
These words ascribed to him “a messianic title as the agent
of the Lord, the coming King of Israel.” Publishing, R. (2014). Palm Sunday
to Easter. Torrance, CA: Rose Publishing.
John 12:12b-13 “A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm
branches and went down the road to meet him.”
As they lay the palm branches on the path they were making a path for
Jesus to enter the city as royalty.
The reception of Jesus by the crowds further enraged the religious
leaders. John 12:19 Then the Pharisees
said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after
him!”
Another important note: John tells us that the people
gathered in mass to see Jesus because of the stories about Lazarus’s
resurrection. John 12:17-18 “Many in the
crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and
they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet
him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign.”
It is sad to note that the crowds, while hailing him as
King, did not understand who he really was.
Maybe if he had risen and confronted the Romans and stirred up a revolt
against Roman rule they would have rallied around him. No one knows for sure.
But since he came humbly and without violence they eventually were disillusioned.
All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.
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